


Incentive

by lucyschroeder



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, POV Male Character, Romance, Season/Series 03 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-27
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-04-06 12:17:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4221435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucyschroeder/pseuds/lucyschroeder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where Jack is not sure what to do or to think. But someone else already has a plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Incentive

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first and most likely only fanfiction. I never wrote a story since highschool, only the odd article for the school newspaper and long posts on tumblr. But I needed to do this after the series finale, because although I liked it, I felt very sad for Jack. It was somehow cathartic. It is unbeta-ed, because I was to embarassed of my English to show it to anyone. But somehow I am ok with posting it here (where is Dr. Freud when you need him). I posted it before and deleted it, because I was too unsure. Not my usual demeanor and not meaning to be coy. I am not a native speaker and apostrophes and me are not friends. But you/we are a lovely fandom, so I will try to be brave!

Jack stayed on the airfield until the small plane had completely disappeared from his view. He felt a strange mixture of elation and utter sadness. Knowing Phryne, he was sure that their kiss meant something to her. Her behaviour over the past months, the looks, the flirtatious banter and their dancing all meant something to her. And discovering that even a tennis match could be romantic was just the icing on the cake.  
For him, the game had been lost a long time ago. He was drawn to her, although or because she was so different from all other women he had known. She fascinated him from the beginning, and things became more intense after his divorce. Her dalliances vexed him, although he knew she had a right to do whatever she wanted. He hadn’t said a word about his feelings until he thought he had lost her in a car crash. And even then he hadn’t said what he wanted to say. But jealousy was something he just couldn’t help. He loved her and he hated to see her with other men, no rationalizing could make that go away.  
But lately his constant wooing seemed to have the desired effect. She wanted it “More than anything” she had said when he tried to court her with a romantic overture. He cursed himself for not just kissing her but giving her time to think, knowing her active mind. His was just a whirl of romantic wishes and shooting stars in this moment, but as so often, she was one step ahead. At least he had got it right a few minutes ago here on the Airfield.  
“Come after me!” Well, that wasn’t difficult. He only lacked the flying licence, the plane, the money, the time off and the courage. But he hadn’t it in him to curse or berate his fate at this moment. They had kissed, it had been great, she wasn’t shy about her father watching them, she wanted him to come after her and he was sure, she wanted to come back. So there was nothing to be done about it. At least he had a great memory to take with him until they met again. Although a part of his brain was afraid to think about British princes, French politicians, Spanish Bullfighters and all other potentially dangerous men Phryne would meet in Europe, he managed to calm himself with the memory of their friendship and mutual force of attraction. Phryne would need a long time to forge such a bond with someone else and he hoped she wouldn’t stay away too long.  
Jack drove his car to the station in a sedate pace that would have irritated Phryne and that thought forced a wry grin from him. At the station he realized at once that it was the worst place to be in his state of mind. He was off work for the weekend and could have gone home but had hoped to distract himself with a case. This was not working. Everything reminded him of her. The desk where she sat only weeks ago, showing off her beautiful legs until he was so distracted he couldn’t concentrate on anything. The evidence, hidden in her garters. Phryne, feeding him gratin, their discussions, squabbles, negotiations and their deep respect for each other. And, he had to be honest with himself today of all days: her arousing presence, the perfume, her beauty and her lovely blue eyes looking into his, making him more than once forget what he wanted to say and opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. He decided to leave, unsure of what to do next and felt listless and somewhat drained. Maybe a ride on his bike would help.  
But after driving for some minutes, he realized that he hadn’t taken the road to his humble cottage, but was in fact in St. Kilda. Giving up on pretending to do the sensible thing and going home, he parked his car in front of Phrynes house and rang the doorbell. Mr. Butler opened at once. Before Jack had the time to think of an excuse for calling that didn’t make him look like the lovesick fool he was feeling, Mr. Butler had greeted him without any sign of surprise and ushered him into the parlour. A good thing that Mr. and Mrs. Collins, who were to live at Wardlow until the return of Miss Fisher and they could afford their own place, were safely on their honeymoon in Sorrento and could not witness his strange behaviour.  
“Detective Inspector, I expected you calling here.” He did? Well, Jack was too flabbergasted to say anything, again reminding himself of said fish. Provided with a whiskey, Jack saw Mr. Butler leave and enter again seconds later with an envelope in his hands. “Miss Fisher left this for you in case you would call here, Sir. You are very welcome to visit us anytime.” With this, he left, leaving Jack alone.  
Jack opened the envelope. The first thing that fell out of it were keys. Car keys, to be precise. The keys to her treasured Hispano Suiza. Jack gulped, emotions threatened to overcome him at last. The next item he fished out of the envelope made his breath hitch and his eyes opened wide. Photos. Photos of Phryne in next to nothing. Silky, beautiful underwear. Different shots in different stages of undress, all so breathtakingly beautiful and erotic that Jack just stared for a few minutes. How he missed her already. Pulling himself together, he looked again into the envelope. There was just a small note left in it. 

“Dearest Jack, I hoped you would come here. I’m sure when you read this I will already miss you. Given you are in my house in my absence and probably drinking my whiskey, I know you miss me, too. I dare you to come after me. The photos are a little incentive for you. Feel free to use the Hispano for your convenience but you might find different means to cross the ocean. Phryne”

And so it happened that Jack Robinson, the careful man and meticulous Police Officer, called Russell Street and, without having a plan at all, took as much time off work as he was able to do. He was sure that some idea would come to his mind. For now, he just felt happy and elated again. He would at least try to keep up with her.


End file.
